New Member

Introduction for New Members

Are you a new Member? After your Ordeal, you are often stuck with no clue about what is going on in the Order of the Arrow, what things you are supposed to be coming to, and very little overall knowledge about the OA. This page is meant you prep you up a bit. Do you remember “Jumpstart”? It was the presentation they showed you after your Ordeal. You can watch it again here to refresh the information a bit if you want to.

If your Ordeal was before the beginning of the current year, and you are not sure if you are still registered, you probably aren't. You can pay your dues online here.

History The Order of the Arrow (OA) was founded in 1915 by Carol A. Edson and E. Urner Goodman. They wanted a program that would help recognize scouts that lived the Scout Oath and Promise and were always willing to serve others. The OA is purely focused on giving service to others. Learn more about the OA’s history here.

Structure The OA is a national organization. Here’s how it’s organized: First, the entire Order of the Arrow is divided up into Regions. There are the Western, Central, South, and North-East Regions. We are in the Western Region. The various Regions are divided up into sections. There are 13 sections, but we are in the W3-N Section. The Sections are again divided up into Lodges. There are 5 Lodges in section W3-N, and we are in the Amangi Nacha(sometimes called the Amazing Nachos!) Lodge. The Amangi Nacha Lodge borders the same area as the Golden Empire Council. After that comes the Chapters. There are 12 Chapters in our Lodge, and we, of course, are in Amangi V.

Events Many different events are hosted throughout the year by different levels of the OA. Some are hosted by the Chapter. Some are held by the Lodge, some by the Section, and sometimes the entire OA hosts national events. The main events that will be held periodically, whether it be every month, or every two years, can be found here.

Also, you should be subscribed to Lodgemaster (automatic when you become a member) which will send out emails about what is happening in the chapter and lodge that you should be attending. You should be receiving emails from it reminding you of your username and password every month. If you aren't on this list, go to the link, and sign yourself up. Fill out the information, and please include your name. You will be sent an email confirmation. Follow the confirmation link, and you are subscribed. If you are having difficulty subscribing to the list or have any questions, contact Frank Bailey and he can help you out.

The "Calendar" link on the right side of the webpage is the calendar of what is happening at the chapter level. Here is a list of events at the lodge level, and here is a list of events happening at the section and national level. A full lodge calendar (not including chapter activity) can be found here.

Ways to get involved The #1 way to get involved: come to the chapter meetings! This is the best way to make yourself active in the chapter. Come to the chapter meetings as often as you can; the chapter meetings are truly where all the action is.

Dancing Like to dance? Well, then you’re in for a very fun, calorie-burning way to get to know your chapter. Learn traditional dancing, or, if you’re up for a faster, more aerobic exercise, grass dancing. You will find that dancing it out with the team will be a lot of fun. Contact Heather Clark if you are interested, and she will be able to help you out.

Ceremonies Remember when you got your Arrow of Light Award, when a bunch of really cool Indians came out and did your ceremony? No? Well, then you surely remember your Ordeal Cermony. Wasn't that cool? And would you be surprised if you were told that you could be the Indian who dressed up in the super-cool Native American getup and performed ceremonies for other people? Well, today's your lucky day. If you're interested in being part of the Ceremony team, contact Heather Clark and she will be able to help you out.

Serve in a leadership position Every October, the chapter elects new Chapter Officers for the next year. This is a perfect opportunity to become active in the Chapter. If you are interested, read more here.